Which ginger for DEEP shade in Dallas, Zone7b?

Gardener972(7b-8a DFW)May 16, 2006

I have a very deep shade spot that I'd like to put in some perennial gingers in front of aspidistra which are about 30 inches tall. What do you recommend as I'm new to gingers? We're in zone 7b so our winters can get down to 10 degrees.

Probably the best would be Kaempferias, but,unfortunately, they aren't very hardy. I've tried several over the years and none have survived here. Hmmm, that really isn't helpful! Perhaps you could look into other shade tolerant plants, like Sweetbox(Sarcococca hookeriana var humilis-shortest of the Sarcococcas), Sacred Lily(Rohdea japonica), Lenten Rose(Helleborus spp) or Holly Fern(Cyrtomium falcatum or C. fortunei).

I was reading my Neil Sperry Texas Gardening Book and they recommend peacock gingers for deep shade. I haven't seen one of these personally but you could probably do a search on this site or the internet and find a picture of them and possibly where to purchase them in your area. I think they take highly organic soil like hostas.

I love the Peacock gingers but have had difficulty getting them to survive the winter. This year I've planted them in the ground still in their large pots and when it turns colder, I'll try bringing them inside.

BTW, I was browsing one of our local Lowes last week and BINGO! was pleasantly surprised to find Silver Spot Peacock gingers in the shade section.